A Study of the Expressed Opinion of the Papacy in the American Secular Press

Loyola University Chicago Loyola eCommons Master's Theses Theses and Dissertations 1952 A Study of the Expressed Opinion of the Papacy in the American Secular Press John V. Mentag Loyola University Chicago Follow this and additional works at: https://ecommons.luc.edu/luc_theses Part of the History Commons Recommended Citation Mentag, John V., "A Study of the Expressed Opinion of the Papacy in the American Secular Press" (1952). Master's Theses. 1094. https://ecommons.luc.edu/luc_theses/1094 This Thesis is brought to you for free and open access by the Theses and Dissertations at Loyola eCommons. It has been accepted for inclusion in Master's Theses by an authorized administrator of Loyola eCommons. For more information, please contact ecommons@luc.edu. This work is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-Noncommercial-No Derivative Works 3.0 License. Copyright © 1952 John V. Mentag A STt.lDY OF TBE EXPRESSBD OPINION OF TBB PAPACY IN THE AMERICAN SECULAR PRESS, 1824-1850 by John V. Mentag, B.J. A The.is Submitted to the Paculty of the Graduate School ot LQ701a University in Partial Fulfillment ot the Requirements tor the Degre. ot Master ot Art. February 1952 LIFE John V. Mentag was born In MIchigan CIty, IndIana, November 16, 1915. He was graduated trom st. Mary's Bigh School. MichIgan City, Indiana, JUne 1933. Atter a year at Loyola UnIversity, ChIcago, he entered the Sooiety ot Jesus at Miltord, Ohl0, August 1934. He studIed PhIlosophy at west Baden College, West Baden SprIngs, IndIana, and was graduated tram Loyola UnIversIty, ChIcago, June 1940, with the degree ot Bachelor ot Arts. From 1941 to 1944 the author taught History, Civlcs, and English at st. Xavier HIgh School, CInCinnati, Ohl0. He returned to west Baden College, West Baden Springs, Indian~to study Theology. Be was ordained to the prIesthood on June 18, 1947. He began his graduate stUdies In the fIeld ot History at Loyola University, In the Summer Session ot 1949. 111 ... PREFACE The purpose of thls study ls to survey the American attitude, as expressed in the secular newspapera otthe time, ~owards the Papacy from l824-l8qO. The twenty-tive year period ~overs the relgns of popes Leo XII, Pius VIII, Gregory XVI, and ~he early years of Plus IX. The expressed attltude aa used here ~as to do with the several popes relative to their persons, to Itheir posltlons as Vlcars ot Chrlst, and as the pppe-Klngs ot the ~apal States. Up to the present no work has appeared treatlng the ~tter under conslderatlon in this study trom the point ot view ~ereln taken. certain phases ot Plus IX'. relgn have been ~ouched upon by Howard R. Marraro ln ~erlcan 9P in1on ~ !2! ~n1t1cat1on ~ Itall, and Slater Loretta Clare Fe1ertag,1n her ~ootoral dlssertat1on, Amerlcan Publl0 Qpln10n ~ !B! Diplomatio ~elatlons between !2! Unlted States ~ ~ Papal State8.~.~ Doctor Ray Allen Billlngton, in hls volume, -The Protestant Crusade ~800-l860,11mlted- his studl ot anti-Catho11c feellng and Amerlcan ~at1vlsm to the current Protestant rellglous press. 1v ... v The materials for the study were chiefly secular newspapers and periodicals, with the primary emphasis being upon the former. The journals that were used were those in the files of the Congressional and Newberry Libraries. For the moat part, attention was confined to the publications of the more important American cities of the time, as New York, Boston, Philadelphia, Baltimore, Wash1ngton, Charleston, and New Orleans. Thus, a chain of newpaper opinion was invest1gated that was indicative of the whole nat10n and 1ts attitude towards the papacy throughout a generat1on. ... TABLE OF CONTENTS Chapter Page INTRODUCTION • • • • • • • • • • • .. • ..,1i I. LEO XII IN THE AMERICAN PRESS • • ., • • • • 1 II. POPE PIUS VIII • • • • .. .. .. • • • • .. 20 III. GREGORY XVI, POPE IN UNSETTLED TIDS • • • • • 30 IV. PIUS IX, THE LIBERAL POPE • • • • • • • • 50 v. FACTORS BEHIND THE EDITORS t WORDS • • • • • • 81 VI. CONCLUSION • • • • • • • • • • • • 93 iBIBLlOORAPBY • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • 95 APPENDICES • • • • • • • • • • • • • • 99 vi ... TABLE OF CONTENTS Chapter Page INTRODUCTION • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • vii I. LEO XII IN THE AMERICAN PRESS • • • • • • • • • • 1 Speculations on the Conclave--The election--New8 of pope's health--'Encyclic Letter'--American vI4tor in Rome--Official relations wIth the Pope. II. POPB PIUS VIII • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • 20 Opinions of the Conclave--pope seldom in the newa--Accounts of his death--Final op1n1on. III. GREGORY XVI, POPE IN UNSETTLED TIMES • • • • • •• 30 Conclave news--Gregory's personality--Obituary accounts--The spiritual ruler--Brief on Slave Trade--po11tlcal disturbanoes In Papal Statea- American Consuls appotnted. IV. PIUS IX THE LIBERAL POPE • • • • • • • • • • • • 50 The surprise election--Liberal program of Pius- His popularity in United Statea--SrmPathy meet ingl--OPinion during the revolution. V. FACTORS BEHIND THE EDITORS' WORDS • • • • • • • • 81 ~antity of newa--Influence of new inventions- European sources--peraonal editorial reaction- Intellectual and re11gious factora--Population. VI. CONCLUSION • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • 93 BIBLIOGRAPHY • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • 95 APPENDICBS • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • 99 ... INTRODUCTION The general tone or spirit of the period had an influence upon the American attitude towards the Papacy. During the lecond quarter of the nin8t~8nth century. the United states passed through the stage of nat10nal adolesoence. Her politio •• soo1ety, and economies bore the marks of the vigor. impetuou.ity, and idealism of youth. In foreIgn atfairs, America with assured selt-reliance proclaimed before the world her devotion to and oonviction of the principle. of republIcanIsm, and lavIshed unoonsidered praise on any people seekIng political freedom. At home, her legislatora indulged in oolorful oratory as they debated about states' rIghts and slavery. Her presidential campaigns were oonducted with the attraotions of a carnival side-show and mud slinging speeches of youthful immaturity. The nation endorsed ~tional growth by western expansion that was pursued with equal ~ggre8siveness against Indian and Mexican. All men plunged into ~he task of developing a national industry as new invention. ~urned America into a land.of optimism and opportunity. In her SOCiety based upon equality, the ambitious, bold, take-chance individual often and eaaily won sucoess. At the core of the national spirit waa the democratIc ideal. Whence came a feeling vii ,.... ... viii of national pride and confidence that, at t1mes, tended to frown and look w1th disdain upon the out-moded and stodgy pattern of life in the Old World. The general tone of the Papacy, 1824-1850, wal almost the exact opposite. The Popes as. supreme sp1ritual leaders con- tended w1th oivil rulerl as they struggled to keep the dogmas and authority of Cbr1stiiillllty 1ntact. The1r temporal power in the papal states was a faded replica ot a glorious past. Deprived ot temporal power by the Emperor Napoleon, and restored by virtue ot the principle of leg1tmacy invoked at the Congress of VIenna, the Papaoy was suspicIous of the new ideas broadcast over Europe by the Revolution. popes Leo XII and Gregory XVI acoepted and ruled aocording to the scheme of react10n that held any concession to liberalism wal polItical suicide. Consequently, those two pope. ~ave been adjudged as Intrans1gent and rocky in the1r opposit1on ~o the "modern" ideas, which included a lack of enthusiasm tor ~terial progress. The ve~y short reign of Plus VIII in no way ~ltered the general picture, which until 1846, was marked by pautious oonservatism ot old age. The first tell' years ot the ~eign of Pius IX, the last ot this survev, portrayed a sp1rit of routhful daring and idealistic desire to meet the new challenges. It is thi-. contrast ot national spirits that accounts ~o a degree for the expressions of ~rican opinion ot the Papacy in the present study_ ... CHAPTER I LEO XII IN THE AMERICAN PRESS The attltude ot the American press towards Leo XII Dlst e determined trom the attention given to him in the columns ot he contemporary papers. It can be derived trom the treatment ot he man, ot the spiritual ruler, and of the ruler ot the Papal tates. This chapter presents such a summary of the news as tound n the secular press of the period covering the reign of Leo XII. During the second quarter of the nineteenth century, the apal spiritual otfice was still connected with considerable emporal power, Moreover, the pope was the only re.-inlng ove~eisn who was elected to his offlce, for the successor ot t. Peter was not an hereditary ruler. This tact made every con lave a matter ot publio lnterest and speculatlon. In 1823, atter he death ot the much persecuted Plus VII, the American press gave ttention to the coming conclave. In the Niles Register appeared lengthy discusslon concernlng the next pope. Among the ualltlcatlons for a satistactory candidate, there was tlrst the oInt of natIonalIty_ A :Frenchman ••1 ruled out slnoe, in the the wrIter, the time ot :French intluence over the on the wane. Spaln was auttlclently occupied with 1 2 domestiO prob~eml to keep her from intrigue tor the position. "AI tor Austria, she is more powerful than ever in Italy; and an attempt has been made, within a short tl.. , to bring an arohduke ~etore the public as the probable successor ot the Holy Pather.-l However, the unldentitied archduke was too young at the moment, 10 there was no possibility ot ~ Au~trian. Moreover, the cardinals were too jealous ot Roman authority to des1re any greater portion ot Austrian tntluence. Consequently, the writer believed that an Italian would receive the honor atter a briet conclave. Though the Pope's nationality might be ot minor im portance, this enlightened and liberal writer held that the new pontift should be ot an enlightened spirit, ot paoitio oharaoter, and a man who had learned the spirIt ot the t1mea trom the eventa ot the past thirty-six years. The tuture pontitt should be on. capable ot rising above prejudIce and one who would be pontiff betore prince.

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